Thomas hiatt



(No Model.)

T. HIATT.

FEED REGULATOR FOR AUTOMATIC FRUIT ASSORIERS. No. 374,153. I I Patented Nov. 29, 1887.,

'Wz'fne s sec,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS HIATT, OF LEESBURG, FLORIDA.

FEED-REGULATOR FOR AUTOMATIC FRUlT-ASSORTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,153, dated November 29, 1887.

Application filed February 21, 1837. Serial No. 228.419.

automatic fruit-assorters; and my invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements, hereinafter'explained,

and then specifically set forth in the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may fully understand its construction and operation, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective of my device shown in connection with an assorting-table; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the feed-board and chute, the latter being elevated.

In this application I make no claim to the assorting-table, as I have made a separate application for a patent therefor, filed August 23, 1887, Serial No. 247,677.

Similar letters denotelike parts in both ures of the drawings.

A is a feed-board having sides and of sufficient width to guide the fruit in single file. To the under side of this board is pivoted a stop, 13, in such manner as to allow its bent end O to project above the upper surface of said board when in theposition shown in Fig. 1.

D is a chute hinged between brackets E, so as to have a free swinging movement, for the purpose presently explained.

F is a link connecting the chute and stop forward of the pivotal point of the former and rear of the pivotal point of the latter, thus causing them to work in unison, the stop he (No model.)

ing up when the chute is down,and vice versa. The rear end of the chute is weighted or otherwise overbalanced, so that the normal position of its forward end will be that shown in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing description the operation of my improvement will be obviously as follows: The fruit-say oranges-having been placed on the feed-board, which is sufiiciently inclined,wi1l roll forward until the first orange comes in contact with the chute D, as seen in Fig. 2, when the equilibrium of the latter will be overcome by the weight of the orange, causing the chute and orange to descend until the latter is delivered upon the assertingboard, as seen in Fig. 1. As the chute descends with the first orange, the connecting link F causes the stop to be thrown up in front ofthe succeeding orange and stop its farther advance until the chute is released by the first orange and returned to its normal position, (by the overloalancing-weight of itslower end,) thus withdrawing the stop and allowing the said second orange to advance and repeat the operation. In this way it will be seen that the oranges are delivered to the assortingboard separately and at intervals, thus pre venting crowding and choking of the escapements, which would otherwise follow.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is-- In a feed mechanism for fruit-assorters, the combination, with a feed-board having sides, of an end stop pivoted to the under side of said feed board, a chute pivoted between the dowardly-projecting ends of said sides, and having its lower end weighted, and a pivoted link connecting said chute to said stop, substantially as shown and described.

THOMAS HIATT.

Witnesses:

J. M. OSBURN, GEO. P. HERNDON. 

